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| Online Poker Site Reviews - Pacific Poker |
| | Pacific Poker Rating |
| Summary: | A - |
| Software: | B |
| Caliber of competition: | A ++ |
| Customer service: | B - |
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Pacific Poker
Summary: A -
Make no mistake about it: the main reason to play at Pacific Poker are the juicy tables, which range from noticeably soft to outrageously wild. Pacific is a subsidiary of Casino-on-Net, one of the largest online casino empires in the world, leading to an influx of casino gamblers who want to try their hand at online poker. Needless to say, the skill of these would-be rounders is typically well below average. Other aspects of gameplay at Pacific are relatively forgettable: a higher rake, inconsistent customer support, and unimpressive software. Most players, however, are willing to look past these modest deficiencies for a crack at wading about in the pool of unskilled Pacific fish.
Sign-up Bonus
Pacific Poker has extended an EXCLUSIVE sign-up bonus to pokercroaker.com readers, that gets you an additional $25, over and above the standard $100 sign-up bonus! Follow this link to Pacific's non-public bonus code page and enter "croakpac". From there, download the software, and you will be awarded the exclusive $25 bonus with your first deposit, over and above their standard 25% match up to $100. See detailed information about this bonus on our Bonus Codes page.
Software: B
Despite backing from one of the more established gaming corporations, Pacific Poker's software leaves much to be desired. Aesthetically clunky and at times painfully slow, the software is also prone to intermittent crashes. On the positive side, however, they recently added the ability to play several tables at once, resolving one of the long-standing player complaints. Pacific also offers an alternate Java-based interface, allowing users to play without downloading the software to their hard drive -- advantageous for users of public computers.
Caliber of competition: A ++
Why the extra "plus"? Give Pacific a try and you'll find out! Pacific has a well-deserved reputation as one of the loosest and wildest sites anywhere online. It is not uncommon to have 50% - 65% of the table see the flop (nearly double what you'll find at tighter sites like Poker Stars or Ultimate Bet), even at limits of $10/$20 and up. Opponents will continue to call bets on both the flop and turn with nearly any part of the board. Many players like to characterize this style of play as bad although objectively speaking, it's really just different, and takes some adjusting-to. If you understand and properly apply concepts such as pot odds (roughly speaking: how big the current pot must be to justify calling a bet), then Pacific can be an extraordinarily profitable online destination. The best advice we can give to a prospective Pacific Poker player is to ensure your bankroll is appropriate for your chosen limit, because you can and will experience swings unlike you'll find at
any other site.
Customer service: B
Pacific Poker customer support is frustratingly inconsistent. At times we receive email replies within 30 minutes of sending a message, while other times responses can arrive 4 or 5 days later, or not at all. They offer phone support as well, but the representatives are sometimes less than knowledgeable about poker-specific issues (because Casino-on-Net also serves a broad base of online casino players.) Most Pacific players, however, are willing to tolerate these minor annoyances because of the fishy player base. |
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